Bleacher back rest



July 14, 1953 R. LEACH 2,645,274

BLEACHER mcmss'r Filed July 1, 1949 I8 22 28 III I I 0 34 26 Richard Leach INVENTOR.

Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLEAOHER BACK REST Richard Leach, Roxbury, Mass.

Application July 1, 1949, Serial No. 102,601

2 Claims.

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a bleacher back rest and more specifically pertains to a collapsible back rest and means for detachably securing the same to a bench.

The primary object of this invention is to provide, a collapsible, portable back rest which may be readily attached to a bench such as a bleacher seat, to provide a back rest for the user.

An important object of this invention is to provide a portable collapsible back rest which may be readily adjusted to fit the same to various sizes of benches or planks; which will not interfere with the comfort of the user when the same is attached to a bench; and wherein the back rest may be secured locked at various adjusted positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a back rest in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall be of simple, light weight but durable and dependable construction and highly efiicient for the purposes intended.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later'become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

.Figure l is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention in its assembled position and mounted upon a bench;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail View upon an enlarged scale showing in vertical central sectional view the pivoting, locking and adjusting means of the back rest construction; c

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional detail View showing the manner in which the device is clamped to a bench; and,

. Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating a portion of a frictional locking element forming a part of the invention.

Referring now mor specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views, it will be seen that the numeral l designates generally the improved back rest construction which is shown attached to a plank or a portion of a bench indicated at [2.

Although the invention is primarily intended for the use of persons attending baseball games and the like, and for enabling them more comfortably to be seated upon the benches or bleachers with which ball parks are provided, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention are generally applicable to providing a back rest or support which may be readily attached to a plank, bench or any other similar fiat and horizontal supporting surface.

The back rest construction forming this invention comprises a supporting frame which may conveniently but not necessarily be of generally rectangular form and comprises front and rear flat metal strips [4 and 16 which are parallel to each other and extend generally transversely of the seat structure, and which are rigidly connected by parallel side strips [8 and 20 which may conveniently economically be integrally formed with the front and back strips. As shown, the side strips are connected to the outer extremities of the front and back strips, and terminate or extend both forwardly and rearwardly of the front and back strips. Conveniently, the entire frame may be formed from sheet metal as by stamping or otherwise cutting the same; or if preferred may be assembled from separately formed strips mechanicallyattached or integrally united as by welding or the like. 7

In any event, the forwardly extending portions of the side strips are providedwith downwardly turned flanged ends 22 and 24 which are adapted to overlie and abut the front edge of the bench I 2. The frame is clamped in place upon the bench l2 by means of L-shaped brackets having a horizontally extending bottom leg 26 and an integral upwardly extending leg 28, the latter being vertically slotted as at 30. Suitably secured to the flanges 22 and 24,'are forwardly extending bolts 32 which extend through the slots 30 and are provided with wing nuts 34. i

It will thus be seen that when the device is placed upon the upper surface of a bench I! as shown in Figure 1, the angle iron bracket may be adjusted by means of its slot 30 so that the horizontal leg 26 of the same will snugly engage the undersurface of the bench l2 and thus clamp the frame thereto, the bracket being secured in its adjusted position by tightening the wing nut 34 upon the bolt 32. The slot thus permits adjustable spacing of the leg 26 from the frame side strips l8 and 20 to enable the device to accommodate itself to various thicknesses of benches.

Adjacent their rear ends, the sid strips I8 and 20 are provided with preferably integral, upwardly extending lugs 36 and 38, which are suitably apertured and which constitute supports upon which the back rest is hinged. The back rest itself consists of a pair of parallel side rails 40 and 42 of any desired shape and character, to which a suitable back panel .44 is provided, a reinforcing member 46 being provided if desired.

As shown clearly in Figure 2, the side'rails 40 and 42 are provided at their lower extremities with upwardly extending sockets or recesses 48 receiving the shank portions 58 of bifurcated end members 52 and 54. The furcations 56 and 58 of the latter are apertured and are adapted to embrace the fulcrum lugs 36.

It is thus seen that the bifurcated end members may be readily replaced or removed from the sockets in the side rails 48 and 42, and are detachably retained therein as by means of rivets or fastening screws 58 which extend through the side rails and into the shanks.

A hinge pin 62 whichmay be headed at one end, is extended through the bifurcated ends and the lugs whereby the back rest is pivotally mounted upon the supporting frame, and the extremity of the hinge pin is threaded as at 64 for the reception of a Wing nut 66. It is thus seen that the back rest may be readily removed from the supporting frame as desired.

In order to pivotally adjust and secure the back rest in adjusted position upon the supporting frame, complementary surfaces of the side faces of the lugs 35 and 38 and of the adjacent faces of the bifurcated portions 55, 58 of thetwo ends 52 and 54,- are provided with serrated sur faces, one such surface being indicated at 68 as applied to the lug 88 in Figure 4.

- It will thus 'be seen that by merely tightening the Wing nut 66, the complementary faces of the lugs and bifurcated ends will be tightly pressed together whereby their serrated or roughened surfaces will frictionally engage each other and thus lock the back rest in adjusted position.

As will be evident, in place of the serrations formed upon the complementary faces, any other suitable fricti'onalengaging surfaces may be employed. I 7

' The proportion of the parts including the dimensions of the lugs and the longitudinal depth of the bifurcated portion of the ends 52 and 54 is such that the back rest may be conveniently folded upon the side strips I8 and 20 whereby the device may be-compactly folded for easy transportation. Y

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the apinvention, what is porting frame having flat upper and bottom surfaces for resting upon a bench, clamping means for securing the front end of said frame to the front edge of a bench, spaced upstanding apertured lugs upon the upper surface of the rear end of said frame, a back rest having side rails terminating in bifurcated apertured ends embracing said lugs, complementary surfaces of the ends and lugs being serrated, a hinge pin journaled in said end and lug apertures for pivoting said back to said frame, said clamping means comprising downturned flanges on the front end of said frame for engaging the front edge of a bench, brackets for underlying the front portion of a bench, a bolt carried by each of said flanges, said brackets having vertical slots each of which has one of said bolts extending therethrough, a wing nut on each bolt engaging said bracket-for maintaining said brackets in adjusted position upon sad flanges.

2. A back rest forbenches comprising a sup porting frame having flat upper and bottom surfaces for resting upon a bench clamping means for securing the front end of said frame to the front edge of a bench, spaced upstanding apertured lugs upon the rear end of said frame, a

back rest having side rails terminating in apertured ends, a hinge pin journaled in said end and lug apertures for pivoting said back rest to said frame, said rail ends beingbifurcated for straddling said lugs, complementary surfaces of said furcations and lugs being serrated, said hinge pin having means for urging said complementary surfaces together for frictionally locking said back rest in adjusted position, said side rails having sockets adjacent their lower extremities, said bifurcated ends having shanks received in said sockets, means retaining said shanks in said sockets.

RICHARD LEACI-I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,36 Benedict Mar. 9, 1886 823,199 Amann June 12, 1906 962,468 Richardson June 28, 1910 1,514,811 Wittmann Nov. 11, 1924 1,852,012 Hose Apr. 5, 1932 2,558,315 Pavey et a1. June 26, 1951 

